Bomb casing for liquid and semi-liquid materials



Sept. 15, 1959 y H. A. BERLINER 2,903,958-

BOMB CASING FOR LIQUID AND SEMI-LIQUID MATERIALS Filed July '15, 1954 INV ENT OR Henry A. Berliner BWM/nw ATTORNEYS United States Patent O assignments, to ACF Industries, Incorporated, a corporation of New Jersey Application July 13, 1954, sei-iai No. 443,031

z claims. (c1. 1oz-z)V This invention relates broadly to containers for liquid and semi-liquid materials and in this application will be described particularly in connection with the construction of an aerial torpedo or bomb filled with napalm, gasoline or similar material, although the container may be used as a carrier for other air-borne materiel.

Such bombs are now widely used in warfare and comprise a metallic shell or casing having the usual airfoil or ogival shape within which the napalm or other liquid or semi-liquid is contained. As these materials are liquid or semi-liquid the bomb casing must be liquid-tight and because of this requirement the casings now known and used are expensive and complicated in construction.

yIn order to save shipping space it is advantageous to ship these bomb casings in knocked-down condition and assemble them in the field. Bomb casings now known and used are of telescoping construction in order to reduce shipping space, but even this known construction requires a very considerable amount of such space. Further, the complex construction of known casings required by the necessity that they be Huid-tight causes great dithculty in assembling them in the field.

V It has accordingly been the principal object of the present invention to provide a bomb casing for containing liquid and semi-liquid materials which will be liquid tight but the parts of which may be easily and quickly assembled and are so constructed that they may be closely nested together in order that a large number of such parts will occupy a minimum of space in shipment.

This principal object of the invention, as well as others which will appear herein, are achieved by the means and construction described in the following specification and illustrated in the annexed drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a bomb casing formed laccording to this invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the parts shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged View taken on line 5 5 of Fig. l and particularly showing the means for filling the two bags within the bomb casing, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view showing a modified form of the invention.

A bomb casing formed in accordance with this invention is disclosed in Figs. l to 5 of the drawings and cornprises two elongated shells '2, 4 of semi-circular crosssection which may be fitted together with their edges overlapping to form a hollow casing having the usual ogival shape of a bomb. The edges of each part are preferably pre-formed with holes which align when the parts are put together to receive fasteners such as screws 6 on which nuts are threaded although it is to be understood that blind rivets or other fasteners well known in aircraft construction can be substituted therefor without departing from the spirit of my invention. The screws 6 extending Ialong each median line of the casing are masked by a hollow metallic structure 8 which is preferably of triangular cross-section, the base side of which is pro- Patented Sept. 15, 1959 ECC vided with holes through which the screws 6 extend, thus causing the structure 8 to enclose completely the screws and the nuts thereon. 'Ihe free edges l0, 12 forming the apex of each structure 8 `are closely spaced and receive between them one of the longitudinal edges of a bafe plate 14 to complete a bulkhead which extends substantially rfrom end to end of the casing and divides it into two substantially equal compartments. Each compartment is adapted to contain a liquid or semialiquid material 16 contained and enclosed in a fluid-tight, flexible bag 18, each of which when inflated has approximately the same volume as one of the compartments. Each bag has a filling spout 20 yand the spouts of a pair of these bags are so positioned with respect to each other that they fare accessible through a single filling opening 22 which is normally covered by a cap 24. The bomb is adapted to be carried in horizontal position and carrying rings 26 `are therefore provided which are positioned outside the casing at the upper part thereof and which have legs extending through the casing and attached to a member 28 of arcuate cross-section and of considerable thickness which supports the load of the bomb when it is hung by the rings 26.

The shells `2, 4 are of the same size and may `accordingly be nested together, thus permitting the shells for a large number of bomb casings to be packed in a small space. The strongback members 28 all have the same arcuate cross-section and these may also be nested together with consequent saving of space.

If desired, the median partition or bulkhead within the casing may be eliminated and the entire casing filled with a single bag 30 containing liquid or semi-liquid material, and such an embodiment of the invention is disclosed in Fig. 6 of the drawings. In such a structure the screws and nuts which connect together the two halves of the casing must be covered to prevent their contact with the bag 30 and this is accomplished by providing an enclosing member 32 which is carried by the screws 6 and which completely encloses lthese screws and the nuts thereon.

It will be seen that the parts of my improved bomb casing may be shipped to the field in a minimum space and there assembled. As the casing itself does not need to be fluid-tight the connection of the parts may be accomplished quickly and easily and the fluid or semi-fluid introduced into the bags or bag, all with only usual tools and equipment. The structures which enclose the screws and nuts which attach the casing halves together completely shroud these screws and nuts and prevent them from coming into any contact with the bags which contain the fluid or semi-fluid.

While I have'described and illustrated certain forms which my invention may take, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other embodiments, as well as modifications of those disclosed, may be made and practised without departing in any way from the spirit or scope of the invention, for the limits of which reference must be made to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. An elongated bomb casing having an ogival forward end and adapted to contain a liquidror semi-liquid material and having a circular cross-section, said casing comprising two elongated substantially identical shells of semicircular cross-section having their edges overlapping, a plurality of spaced fasteners extending through the overlapping shell edges into Said casing, partition means extending vertically substantially from end to end of the casing along the central axis thereof to divide the casing into two compartments, said means including a central baffle plate having hollow supporting structures at the opposed edges thereof engaged by and enclosing the portion of the fasteners within said casing, and a fiuid tight bag disposed respectively in each of said two compartments, said bags being shaped and lformed to occupy substantially the entire space within their respective compartments, and means including a hanger and backing plate to supportthe casing. n

2. An elongated bombcasing having an ogival forward endand adapted to contain a liquidy or semi-liquidi'mate-V rial and having a circular crossfsection, saidcasingbeing formed of two elongatedy substantially` identical shells., of semi-circular cross-section having their edges overlapping, a row of spaced fasteners-extending through each-ofthe. respective overlapping shell edgesf into said casingLpartition means extending vertically substantially fromendto end of thevcasing along the central axis thereof to divide the casing into two. compartments, said meansvhaving two hollow supporting structuresof substantiallyltrianguA lar cross-section aside of eachr ofl which is secured `by a respective: row of said fasteners, and a baille plate; the opposed edges of which areA interposed respectively be-l tween thesides ofA the triangulary structuresA formingthe apex opposite the secured sides thereof so as to enclose the portion of the said fasteners within said-casing, and' a fluid tight bag disposed respectively in each of said two compartments, said bags being shaped and formed to occupy substantially the entire space within their respective compartments.

R,eferellteesk Gitedt in the file; ofy this. -Pltentf UNITED STAIES` PATENTS 

1. AN ELONGATED BOMB CASING HAVING AN OGIVAL FORWARD END AND ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A LIQUID OR SEMI-LIQUID MATERIAL AND HAVING A CIRCULAR CROSS-SECTION, SAID CASING COMPRISING TWO ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL SHELLS OF SEMICIRCULAR CROSS-SECTION HAVING THEIR EDGES OVERLAPPING, A PLURALITY OF SPACED FASTENERS EXTENDING THROUGH THE OVERLAPPING SHELL EDGES INTO SAID CASING, PATITION MEANS EXTENDING VERTICALLY SUBSTANTIALLY FROM END TO END OF THE CASING ALONG THE CENTRAL AXIS THEREOF TO DIVIDE THE CASING INTO TWO COMPARTMENTS, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A CENTRAL BAFFLE PLATE HAVING HOLLOW SUPPORTING STRUCTURES AT THE OPPOSED EDGES THEREOF ENGAGED BY AND ENCLOSING THE PORTION OF THE FASTENERS WITHIN SAID CASING, AND A FLUID TIGHT BAG DISPOSED RESPECTIVELY IN EACH OF SAID TWO COMPARTMENTS, SAID BAGS BEING SHAPED AND FORMED TO OCCUPY SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE SPACE WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE COMPARTMENTS, AND MEANS INCLUDING A HANGER AND BACKING PLATE TO SUPPORT THE CASING. 